


Anything

by missbecky



Category: Mummy Returns (2001), The Mummy (1999)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2017-11-14 08:08:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missbecky/pseuds/missbecky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a man's life is at stake, how much would you be willing to give? Eight months after the events of the film, Rick O'Connell has a chance to pay off an old debt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything

**Author's Note:**

> This follows the events of [A Fine Line](http://archiveofourown.org/works/513105) but only in the sense that the backstory I created for Ardeth in that story comes back to haunt him in this one. Reading that story first is not necessary, but probably not a bad idea.

Alex O'Connell had many things to be happy about. It was a beautiful morning, full of invitation and promise. He was back in Egypt, and of his own free will this time. Most importantly, his parents had finally consented to let him out of their sight, and while they were belowground in the tomb, he had the entire temple to himself.

It had been his idea to return to Egypt. With what he had hoped was the proper solemnity, he had informed his family that he wanted to go back. The events of Ahm Shere were eight months old. He did not want Egypt to be a place that existed only in his nightmares, a place where he had been tormented and nearly killed. He did not want Egypt to be the place where his mother had died. He thought it would be best for everyone if they went back.

His dad had taken one look at him and said no. Uncle Jon had shaken his head and said no. But his mum's eyes had lit up.

Two days later, it was settled. They were going to Egypt.

His mum, of course, had a tomb she wanted to explore. Uncle Jon was lured by promises of riches. Only his dad was unhappy about the trip. Even before they reached Cairo, Alex found his freedoms sharply curtailed, as his parents kept him close by, where they could watch him at all times. 

For a nine-year old, this was nothing short of excruciating. Alex had complained and pleaded to no avail. His mum had been willing, but not his dad.

Then, early this morning, his persistence had finally paid off. 

"Oh, all right." His dad was obviously sick of hearing him whine, but just as obviously reluctant to let him go. "But you come right back down if you see anyone," his dad had ordered.

Alex had nodded, using his best innocent expression. "Sure!"

"Or if you hear anything."

"I will."

"Or if you even think you hear anything."

"Daaad!" He was exasperated now.

"Rick, would you let him go?" His mum had sounded a little annoyed herself. "Alex will be fine." She smiled. "Won't he?"

"I promise I'll come back if I see or hear anyone," Alex had said.

His dad had frowned and Alex took that to mean he was free. "Thanks, Dad!" He had snatched his pack and run up to the temple.

That had been an hour ago. And now he was bored. To his chagrin, there really hadn't been anything fun to do in the temple. His parents were taking longer than he had expected, Uncle Jon was down there with them, so he was truly alone, as he had wanted. The problem was, he couldn't go back down to the tomb, because then his parents would gloat, and keep him down there the rest of the day.

Wishing for something exciting to do, he began climbing the steps of the temple. He thought he would go outside and get his telescope from the pack still tied to the saddle of his horse. There were several buildings at this dig site, and their animals were tethered behind one of these, well out of sight of anyone who might ride up. Alex enjoyed riding, and he liked his horse, a gentle bay gelding whom he had named Horus.

He scampered up the stairs, and halfway up, while he was still within the shadow of the temple's interior, he heard voices. Instantly he flattened himself against the stone, his eyes very wide.

"He's coming," a man hissed. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," came the response.

Alex forgot to breathe. Were they talking about him? Was there no end to the people who wanted to kidnap him?

The men were hiding behind the columns in front of the entrance to the temple. From where he lay he could see the dusty boots of the man behind the column on his right, but nothing at all of the man on his left.

Further out, a horse whinnied. Alex ducked his head and wondered if he could get back down the stairs without alerting the men.

The rifle shot so surprised him that he actually cried out. Immediately he clapped his hand over his mouth, but he need not have bothered. His small outcry was lost in the louder scream of a horse, and in the sounds of the two men springing from their hiding places.

Alex slithered up the remaining steps, wanting to see. He lay on his belly and peered over the top riser.

Almost twenty meters out, a black horse lay dying on the sand. A man was pinned between the horse and the ground, and Alex could not see this man's face, but he wore the black robes of the Med-jai.

The two men who had been hiding behind the pillars had now been joined by two more. All four of them were dressed in worn clothing that had clearly seen better days, and were armed to the teeth. A large black man carried the rifle that had produced the killing shot. They ran up to the fallen Med-jai, who was struggling to bring his own weapon to bear.

The man with the rifle brought it down on the Med-jai, once, twice. The sound of the stock slamming into the man's skull carried across the sand with gruesome clarity, and Alex winced and dropped his head.

"Enough!" The command was given in Arabic, and Alex looked up again. On his return from Egypt eight months ago, he had vowed to learn the language of that land. His mother knew a little, and Uncle Jon remembered just enough to get by, but Alex was proud to say he could now read and write the flowing script and speak the language. He was glad now he was able to understand what the men were saying.

He peered cautiously over the step. He couldn't see any faces, for they had their backs to him. One of the men was holding the arm of the black man with the rifle, preventing him from striking the unconscious Med-jai a third time. "They will give us nothing if he is dead."

The man with the rifle lowered the gun. "We should kill him anyway."

"It's amazing," a third man commented. "All you have to do is say the name O'Connell, and the almighty Med-jai practically rush to do your bidding."

"We shouldn't stay here," said the fourth man, looking around nervously. "I heard the O'Connells are in Cairo. What if they really do come by here?"

"Chickenshit," the first man muttered to this one. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get the horses."

The second man scratched his head. "What if they won't bargain with us?"

"Oh, I think they will," said the black man. "I can promise you that." He chuckled. Then he looked up. "After you get your treasure, he's mine."

"Yes, yes," the first man said impatiently. "But first, Hamunaptra. You get nothing until then, Kadyn. Now, help me with him."

The two men bent down to retrieve their prisoner, and Alex O'Connell gasped as he got the shock of his life. He knew these men!

The black man looked just like Lock Nah, the one who had tormented him so mercilessly during his abduction. That was bad. But worse, he knew the other man.

The Med-jai these men had captured was Ardeth Bay.

****

"Dad!" Alex's shout preceded him and Rick O'Connell felt his heart stop.

"Dad!" The nine-year old burst into the antechamber, his eyes huge. "You have to go. Now!"

Evy stepped forward. "Go?"

Alex seized his hand. "They're getting away!"

Not liking where this was headed, Rick looked around hastily. "Who's getting away?"

"The men outside," Alex exclaimed. "They've got--"

"Men outside?" He dropped the hammer he had been holding and pulled his gun. 

"What men outside?" Evy demanded.

"I thought I told you to come straight down if you saw anyone," he said. Fear for Alex's safety made him sound angrier than he truly was. 

His son stared at him in agony. "Dad, listen! You have to go after them. They've got Ardeth. I heard them--"

"Ardeth?" Evy shot a startled look toward the door of the antechamber. "He's here?"

"Come on!" Alex yelled. "There's maybe still time!" He turned and ran out of the room.

"Alex!" Still holding the pistol, Rick followed the boy. His heart was pounding. _Not again_ , he prayed desperately. _Not again._ If anything happened to Alex, he would never forgive himself. The guilt he bore for letting them take his son in London was still too scalding; he knew he could not endure it a second time.

"Rick!" Evy ran behind him, with Jonathan lagging a distinct third. "Don't let him get up there alone. If they're still out there--"

"I know," he said grimly.

It was easy to catch up to Alex, who pleaded with his eyes. "Dad, come on!"

Together they ran out of the tomb. Rick held the gun high enough so he would not accidentally shoot his own son, and scanned the area. There was nobody in the temple.

Nor were there any men outside. But they had been here, that much was clear. Several yards out lay a dead black horse, a bullet hole in its neck still sluggishly oozing. Just above the horse, there was an impression in the sand in the shape of a man. Blood darkened the sand where the man's head had lain. 

Alex groaned. "They hit him with a rifle, Dad."

Tracks in the sand told the story. The men had kept the horses in plain view, but they themselves had hidden, two behind the pillars and two just around the corner of the temple. When the Med-jai had ridden up, they had leapt out in ambush, killing the horse and knocking the man unconscious.

Rick knelt down and touched his fingers to the bloodied sand. There was an awful lot of it. "Alex, are you sure? Most of those Med-jai, they look alike."

"They tricked him, Dad. They pretended to be us, wanting to see him. I know they did." Alex's face was stricken with guilt. "They said they could make the Med-jai do anything, just by using our name."

Jonathan and Evy walked up together, surveying the scene through shocked eyes. "How many were there?" Evy asked.

"Four," Alex said. His shoulders hunched. "And I knew one of them."

Rick looked up in concern, recognizing the strained look on Alex's face. For months after their return from Ahm Shere, his son had suffered nightmares over his ordeal there. It was why he had argued so vehemently against their return.

But Evy had not seen it that way. "It will do him good," she had said. "He needs to face his fears." She had agreed with Alex that a trip to Egypt was the best thing, and in the end, as always, Rick had been unable to refuse her. He never could.

Now Evy knelt down in front of Alex, her dark eyes very solemn. "Who did you know?"

"The one who hit Ardeth. He looked just like the man who kidnapped me, Lock Nah. I think he must be related. A brother, maybe. Or--or--" His lower lip trembled, and tears shone in his eyes. "Or a c--cousin." He began to cry, a nine-year old boy trying hard to be brave but not quite able to do it.

Rick let Evy take their son into her arms, and stood up. Over the heads of his wife and son, he looked at Jonathan, who gazed back at him helplessly.

"Why would they do it?" he muttered, shaking his head. Slowly he put the pistol back in its holster. He kicked sand over the blood on the ground. "Why?"

Alex pulled away from Evy and dragged his sleeve across his face. "They want Hamunaptra," he said.

"Hamunaptra?" Evy gave her husband a worried look.

"I heard them talking," Alex said. "In Arabic," he added with some pride. "I think they want the treasure under Hamunaptra."

Rick pursed his lips. The Med-jai would never allow scavengers such as these men to go into Hamunaptra, not even with the threat of Imhotep far removed and buried deep beneath the sands of Ahm Shere. He wondered if the desert warriors divided their time now between both places.

Regardless, the four men whom Alex had just witnessed obviously had a plan: take hostage the leader of the Med-jai and then ask them, "What is Hamunaptra worth to you?"

They wouldn't do it, he thought. Not even for Ardeth. They would let him die rather than give up what they had spent three thousand years protecting. Ardeth himself would want it that way. The Med-jai leader would not expect any rescue, any bargaining for his life.

He looked down at Evy and saw that she had already reached this conclusion. She stood up. "Rick, we can't let them," she said slowly.

He knew that. But, "What can we do?" he asked her.

Her dark eyes flashed. "You better think of something, Rick O'Connell. We owe that man more than we can ever repay. We are not going to stand back and let this happen." She drew herself up. "Especially not when it was our name that did this in the first place."

Rick looked down at the sand near his boot, sand stained with Ardeth's blood. He closed his eyes, and the memory returned with startling clarity, as though it were only yesterday, not eight months ago...

***

There were bodies on the floor.

He swayed where he stood in the foyer of their house, drunk with loss and disbelief, still unable to believe that they had taken Alex right out from under him. He had stumbled into the house, intent on returning to Egypt and getting his son back, and stopped dead.

There were bodies on the floor.

Suddenly he realized how close he had come, not just to losing Alex, but to losing everything. While he had been upstairs, dealing with the curator and the woman and Jonathan, a second battle had been raging down here.

He grabbed Ardeth, ignoring the way the injured Med-jai flinched. "You did all this?"

Ardeth nodded curtly.

Fear made him feel faint. They would have killed Evy and Alex and taken the Bracelet, and he would not have been able to stop them. If Ardeth had not been here, his entire family might be dead right now.

He gripped Ardeth's arm harder. "You--" He had to swallow hard before he could go on, not sure he could express the things he was feeling. "If you ever need anything... Anything..."

"My friend." Ardeth shook him off. "I know." The warrior gazed at him for a moment, then said, "Now we must find your son."

****

And he had forgotten all about his vow. Until now.

He opened his eyes, staring into the distance. The tracks of horses were clear in the sand, a trail for anyone to follow. 

"All right," he said, without turning around. "Get your things. We're going after them."

****

_Hamunaptra_

The intruder rode in at dawn. His horse was lathered, its eyes rolling madly. It burst into the camp, knocking aside baskets and nearly running into a cooking fire. When the man atop it hauled back on the reins, it went down on its haunches with a shrill whinny of pain.

Faisal ibn Sheik folded his arms and glowered at this person who had run into their camp like a madman. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The man grinned, revealing a mouth missing most of its teeth. "I have a message for you, Med-jai."

Faisal was commander of the most prominent tribe of the Med-jai. He was second only to Ardeth Bay, and he was not a man who felt fear very easily. "What is your message?" he asked contemptuously.

"Give over Hamunaptra," said the man. He reached down and unhooked something from his saddle, then threw it into the dust at Faisal's feet.

The Med-jai stared at the sword, recognizing it immediately. He looked up. "Where did you get that?"

"The wealth of Hamunaptra," the man repeated. "Or your leader dies." He yanked his horse's head around and the poor animal sprang to its feet.

"What's it worth to you?" jeered the man. "You've got three days to decide." He kicked the horse, and it jumped into a labored gallop.

Faisal stalked forward and picked up the curved sword that belonged to his leader. The men of the camp crowded near.

"Summon the Commanders," he said.

****

_They said their name was O'Connell. Wanted to see you at the temple. That's where they're at._

The man who had delivered this message had been short and scrawny, reminding Ardeth of Beni, the little thief who had served Imhotep in order to try and stay alive. Unlike O'Connell, he had not hated Beni. Rather, he had pitied the man, and the desperate bargain Beni had made with the Creature in order to survive. A man would do a lot to stay alive, he knew, no matter how horrible the situation might be.

Words to remember, Ardeth thought grimly. He supposed he would find out soon enough just how far he himself would go in order to stay alive.

He didn't know three of them, but he had known Kadyn Nah on sight, of course. The only wonder was why it had taken so long for the man to seek to avenge his half-brother's death.

Night was falling; the interior of the tent was growing steadily darker. He had been unconscious most of the day, it seemed, for the last thing he remembered was riding up to the temple in the early morning sunlight. He sat on the sand where they had dumped him, hands manacled behind him. The chain connecting the cuffs was looped around the tentpole, preventing him from rising, and he had not even bothered to try. There was nothing to be gained by demeaning himself and wasting his strength.

He could hear them outside, the four men who had tricked him. He sat very still and tried not to think about how thirsty he was. This was difficult to do, with the throbbing pain in his skull, but the years of harsh self-discipline paid off; he was able to put his misery aside for the present, and focus on the situation at hand.

With hindsight, he cursed himself for being all kinds of a fool. He should have known something was not right. But he had allowed his anticipation at seeing his friends again to take hold of him, and he had believed the messenger wholly, even offering the man some money. He had told Faisal his destination, then ridden off, looking forward to seeing the O'Connells under circumstances where nobody's life was in danger.

The setup had been good, he had to admit. The four horses in front of the temple could easily have belonged to the O'Connells and Jonathan Carnahan. Relaxed and unwary, he had simply ridden right into their trap.

He closed his eyes. All the better not to see the waterskin hanging over his head, a malicious torment that reminded him all too well of the precariousness of his situation. He was alive on his captors' sufferance only, and he could not begin to guess what they wanted with him.

Kadyn Nah's motives were obvious, of course, but why hadn't the man killed him right away? Why take him hostage? Why bother?

Someone outside shouted, and Ardeth opened his eyes, squinting painfully. The flap of the tent bowed in, then was lifted as a large man came inside.

Ignoring the pain, Ardeth lifted his head, staring at his visitor. He refused to sit here with his head meekly bowed like some penitent. It would not be good to let them think they could break him.

Kadyn Nah gazed down at his prisoner impassively, arms folded. The warrior had once been a Med-jai, like his half-brother, but at some point he had cut the tattoos from his face, leaving behind ragged scars that only emphasized the coldness in his dark eyes. The resemblance to his dead relation was uncanny, an effect the man no doubt relished.

Four years younger than Lock Nah, Kadyn had worshipped his half-brother. When Lock Nah challenged Ardeth's father to the leadership of the Med-jai, the boy had not been present. He had not seen the duel which had ended in Sohail Bay's suicide, the old leader naming his son as his successor in the last moments before he died.

Kadyn had not seen what had ensued, the brutal fight between his half-brother and Ardeth Bay. He had not seen Ardeth defeat Lock Nah and cast him out from the Med-jai, exiling the beaten warrior. 

Certainly Kadyn had not been in London to see Lock Nah try to kill Evelyn O'Connell in an attempt to take the Bracelet of Anubis from her. And Kadyn had not seen the hatred flow again between his half-brother and the leader of the Med-jai. He had not been there in the jungle of Ahm Shere when Ardeth had killed Lock Nah, ending over ten years of enmity.

But Kadyn, who had left the Med-jai when his half-brother did, had obviously heard the stories. The hatred in the warrior's dark eyes left little doubt as to his thoughts. "Ardeth Bay. You remember me?" Even his voice sounded like Lock Nah's. 

"I do," Ardeth said, careful not to move his jaw any more than he had to. It hurt to talk, it hurt just to sit here and look up at this man. 

"Then you know why you are here."

He said nothing to this. Perhaps Kadyn Nah had forgotten, but a Med-jai did not beg. There was honor to be kept.

"What do you think they will give for you?" Kadyn Nah asked, smirking. "Will they give us what we ask for?"

"What do you ask?" Ardeth said.

"Hamunaptra," came the triumphant reply.

"Then you already know the answer." He looked away. The Med-jai would never give Hamunaptra to another. They had allowed the digging before, on his argument, because he had hoped the woman in charge would lead them to the books. He had hoped the Med-jai might take the books, and forever avert a repeat of the disaster which had nearly befallen them all when Evelyn Carnahan had read from the Book of the Dead. But even now, when its evil was buried elsewhere, Hamunaptra belonged to the Med-jai. They had been entrusted with the City of the Dead three thousand years ago, and for all this time they had kept that trust. They would not hand it over now, not even for his sake.

Kadyn Nah stalked forward. "Not even for their leader?" he hissed.

Ardeth looked up at the young warrior. "Especially not for me."

Kadyn Nah kicked him, a sharp blow to the ribs that knocked the breath from him and doubled him over as much as the manacles would allow. He clenched his jaw, stubbornly refusing to cry out, even when his captor kicked him again, breaking a rib. 

Kadyn Nah squatted and seized his hair, pulling his head back. "That's all right," the former Med-jai breathed. "I'd rather get to spend some time with you."

Ardeth stared over Kadyn Nah's shoulder, striving to remain impassive. He would rather have died than admit his pain to this man.

"They have three days to make up their mind. But whether they offer to trade for you or not, I am still going to kill you," Kadyn Nah said quietly. He released his captive and stood up. "You think about that tonight." With a soft chuckle, he was gone.

Ardeth slumped back against the tentpole, fighting to maintain his composure. He had a good idea that by the time the three days were over, he would welcome death.

****

There were lots of things he had done in his life that could be considered foolish, things that had seemed like good ideas at the time. But this, Jonathan Carnahan thought glumly, had to be the first time he had ever willingly done something foolish.

"And where exactly are we going?" he asked. He had not been keen to return to Egypt in the first place, and only his shallow desires had brought him back here. The diamond he had taken from Ahm Shere would not keep him forever, and he needed money to finance his lifestyle. He had hoped to find something useful on this dig, but so far all they had found were old bones and a lot of sand.

"Following the tracks," Rick said lazily. 

"Yes, I see," Jonathan said. "And when the wind blows them away? What then?" 

Nobody answered him. He knew they would be angry with him for bringing it up, but it was true. The hoofprints in the sand would not last forever, and sooner or later they would lose the trail. And then they would be lost in the desert, doomed to wander hopelessly until they either died or else found their way back to the temple through sheer luck.

He caught the tail end of an angry glare from Alex, and he looked away. So his nephew was ashamed of him. Well, that was to be expected. Everybody else usually was. Why not Alex?

"Jonathan," Evy said, her tone indicating that she was not about to take any crap from anyone, "maybe you and Alex should return to Cairo. It's not safe for you here."

He started to say what a good idea that was, but Alex beat him to it. "Mum! Don't send me back! I want to help."

"You can help by going back to Cairo," Evy said sternly.

"Dad!"

"Listen to your mother, Alex."

Jonathan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. 

"Uncle Jon, I don't want to go! I want to stay and help!"

"I think maybe we should do what your mother says," Jonathan offered, hoping to make peace with his sister. "She's usually right about this kind of thing."

"No!" Alex folded his arms and glared mutinously at his mother's back. "I'm not going."

Evy turned around in the saddle. "Oh, yes, you are."

"But it's not fair!" Alex burst out. "I'm nine years old now! Besides, I saw them. I'm the only one who knows what they look like. You could ride right by them and never know it was them."

Jonathan never knew why he said next what he did. Possibly the devil made him do it. "And he knows the language, Evy. Don't forget that."

Now Rick turned around, too, glaring at his brother-in-law. Jonathan gave Rick a breezy smile and turned to Alex. "We're staying, aren't we?"

After all, he had saved Ardeth Bay's life once before, in the Oasis of Ahm Shere, shooting from afar the man who had been ready to gun down the Med-jai leader. Why not save it again?

Alex grinned and looked hopefully at his mother.

Evy looked from her brother to her son and back again. "Ooh, you two!" She heaved a sigh. "All right, all right. But Alex, you stick close to your uncle."

"Yes, Mum," Alex said demurely, and giggled.

Jonathan smiled to himself. Yes, indeed, the most foolish thing he had ever done.

****

"Where would you go?" Rick muttered. They had stopped for the night, needing to rest both the horses and themselves. He stabbed a stick into the fire, sending sparks flying into the night. 

"Hmm?" Evy, half-asleep already, looked up at him. "Did you say something?"

He drew a line in the sand with the burnt end of the stick. "Where would you go? I mean, if you were treasure hunters who had just kidnapped the leader of a nation of warriors. Where would you hide?"

Evy sat up, sand falling from her dark hair. "I don't know." She glanced at Alex, who slept on her left, curled up in a ball. "Do you think the Med-jai will do it?"

"Give up Hamunaptra?" Rick shook his head. "No."

"That's what I think." His wife sighed. "Jonathan is right. We'll never find them."

Jonathan himself was sleeping, stretched out behind Rick, and if the man hadn't been asleep, Rick would have cheerfully thumped him. He wished like hell Jonathan hadn't pointed out the futility of their task. Hearing stuff like that never made things any easier.

Then again, when had he ever let concerns about futility rule him? Who would ever have thought he would follow Imhotep down into Hamunaptra and defeat the High Priest? Who would have imagined that he would run through the jungle of Ahm Shere and save his son's life? Who would have dreamed he would destroy the Scorpion King and the Army of Anubis, all in one swift stroke? He had tried to do a lot of hopeless things in his life, and always before he had come out victorious. Why should this time be any different?

And dammit, he had a promise to keep. So maybe this wasn't exactly what he had had in mind when he promised Ardeth that he would do anything for the Med-jai. This was no time to be picky. The man's life was at stake, and Rick meant to do everything he could to save his friend. For all the times Ardeth had helped them, and for the sake of their friendship, a strange and wonderful thing in itself.

_Glad to see me now?_ Ardeth had joked on the bus in London, and damned if he hadn't been. Although they had come together under the worst of circumstances, he knew a deep respect and liking for the Med-jai. They lived worlds apart, but they were men with similar passions, and the same stubborn determination to persevere in the face of all odds. 

Rick jabbed the stick into the fire once more, then sat up, struck by a sudden thought. Ardeth had said _he_ was a Med-jai, although he had denied it until the end, when he had accepted the truth in the temple at Ahm Shere, however briefly. Afterward, back home in London, wrestling with Alex's nightmares and Evy's insistence on her reincarnated past, he had allowed himself to forget what he had realized in the temple.

"Rick?" Evy looked at him, brow furrowed. "What is it?"

He turned to her, unsure how to say it. "If I am a Med-jai," he said slowly, "that makes Ardeth my commander."

She started to smile, then realized he wasn't joking. "Rick?"

"I know, I know. I don't really believe it, either. I just --" He stopped. He had never told them about his moment of epiphany in the temple. All they knew was that he had seen etchings on the wall that explained how to use the Scepter of Osiris. They did not know that for a brief moment, he had believed himself to be Med-jai, a warrior for God.

He tried to shrug it off, pretend he hadn't meant it. "Not that I'm going to start calling him, 'Your Majesty' or anything. Don't get any ideas."

Evy was not amused. "We owe him everything," she said firmly. "My life. Alex's. He turned his back on his people to help us save Alex. How can we forget that?"

She looked at Alex, then back at him. "I never told you, but when they tried to take the Bracelet from us, Ardeth ordered Alex and me out of the house. He was ready to fight them alone, in order to save us. I haven't forgotten that."

"Evy, nobody's forgetting," Rick protested. He wished now he had not said anything. "But you have to admit this isn't the smartest thing we've ever done. We have no way of knowing where to find these men."

"We'll find them," Evy vowed. "I know we will."

In the face of her tenacity, Rick was helpless. He simply nodded, accepting, wishing he could make her belief his own.

****

By morning, the trail was gone. Evy stared at the sand disconsolately. She had done a lot of things in her life, many of which might have been called impossible by someone else. Normally she managed to stay optimistic, but right now she was having a very hard time doing so.

"All right, let's be logical about this," Rick said, surprising her by the sheer rationality in his voice. "If you were them, where would you go?"

She struggled to stay calm, to be logical, as her husband said. She took a deep breath. "The Med-jai live here," she said. "They know the desert. There can't be that many places for anyone to hide that they don't know about."

"Maybe they went back to Cairo," suggested Jonathan.

Rick shook his head. "No. They'd be too far away. They need to stay close, so they can be in touch with the Med-jai."

"Why don't we go see the Med-jai?" asked Alex. "Maybe they'll have some ideas."

Evy looked at her husband. Was it a good idea? She knew the Med-jai would not bargain for Ardeth's life, not when Hamunaptra was the price. But would they sit still and allow their leader to die?

She thought maybe they wouldn't.

Rick was obviously thinking the same thing. "We could join up with them."

"Or," Jonathan said, "we could stay out of their way and let them do it."

Evy turned and gave her brother a withering glare, and he subsided into silence. She couldn't say why, but she felt very strongly that they must not wait. Every hour mattered now. A man's life was at stake.

"We don't know how to find them," she murmured, gazing at the horizon.

"Hamunaptra is west of us," Rick said. "We could just head in that direction and wait for _them_ to find _us_."

"No," Evy said. "We can't wait." She had seen the blood on the sand. The longer they waited, the worse it would be for Ardeth.

She had never told Rick, but Alex was not the only one to suffer from nightmares on their return from Egypt last year. Some nights she dreamed of the battle that had raged in the foyer of her house, and in those dreams she watched helplessly as Lock Nah killed first Ardeth, then her son, then advanced on her, smiling all the while. Other nights she dreamed that Rick didn't run fast enough, and Alex died just outside the temple in Ahm Shere, and that she and Jonathan came running up to find Rick sobbing over the lifeless body of their son. 

Egypt haunted her. She had wanted to return here for the same reasons as Alex, only she had not been brave enough to say so. And if this ended badly... If a man died because he had believed that she and her family -- his friends -- were near, she would never forgive herself. 

"Ah, people." Jonathan sounded torn between relief and alarm.

Evy looked up and saw the source of his tension. Ten riders were approaching, fierce men in black robes riding the beautiful Arabian horses that were so carefully bred in this region of the world.

Med-jai.

She stood a little straighter, watching as Rick raised his hand in the traditional greeting.

The Med-jai rode up and stopped thirty feet away. The man in the center looked to be fifty years old and he had a grizzled beard. He stared at them for a long moment, then said, "O'Connell?"

Evy started, then relaxed as he reminded herself that of course the Med-jai would know who they were. She realized suddenly that she had never really known how they had fared in the battle against the Army of Anubis. From Izzy's dirigible, it hadn't looked too bad, but she knew that appearances were often deceiving. 

"That's me," Rick said. He had one hand resting near his gun, but he had not drawn it.

The Med-jai frowned down on them, and Evy wondered if they knew the trick that had been played on Ardeth. Did they, perhaps, blame the O'Connells?

"We want to help you," she said.

The man with the beard looked at her speculatively. "Help us?"

"Find Ardeth." The warrior's expression did not change, so she said, "Alex, my son, saw the men who took him."

This gave the man a start. He looked at Alex. "How did you see them?"

Alex told the story carefully, and Evy felt a fierce pride rise within her as she listened to her son. Rick was right: they had raised him well. Alex was bright and brave and a joy to have in her life. 

At the end of the story, Alex described the four men and added, "One of them was named Kadyn, and he looked like Lock Nah."

The ten Med-jai exchanged glances at this, and some of the younger ones, who did not have the self-discipline of the older men, looked worried.

"You know who this fellow is?" asked Rick.

"We do. He is Kadyn Nah, brother to Lock Nah, who was cast out of the Med-jai by Ardeth Bay."

Evy didn't bother hiding her surprise. The man in her house, the man who had tried to kill her son -- he had been a Med-jai?

"I am Faisal ibn Sheik." The Med-jai extended a hand, indicating them all. "We would be honored if you would ride with us."

"Honored?" Rick raised an eyebrow.

Faisal ignored him and looked at Evy. "Ardeth has told us the truth of your past."

"Oh." Evy didn't know what to say to that. Most days she forgot all about her past life and the things she had seen when she had died. She and Rick had talked about it on the first night they had returned to Cairo after the destruction of Ahm Shere, but never again.

"Do you, ah, do you know where you're going?" asked Jonathan.

"We do now," said Faisal ibn Sheik. He looked at Alex and the stern cast of his features softened briefly into what might have been a smile.

****

They rode northwest across endless dunes and scorching sands. Alex pulled his bandanna over his face in an imitation of his father and tried not to think about how sore his bum was getting from all this riding.

He was pleased with how things were turning out. The Med-jai would lead them to a camp where Kadyn Nah had been known to stay, and then they would all rescue Ardeth. There were fourteen of them against four of the bad guys, so things would certainly go well. Maybe nobody would even get hurt.

Faisal ibn Sheik rode between his parents, talking quietly with them. Uncle Jon was by himself on the fringes of their little group. Alex rode in their midst, and when two of the Med-jai behind him began to talk, he turned his head slightly, straining to hear.

"What do you think?"

"About what?"

They spoke in Arabic of course but Alex understood them, for the most part -- they talked fast, so he missed some of the words.

"About them."

"Ardeth Bay trusts them. That is enough for me. And the American has twice defeated the Creature. He will be good in the fight."

The fight! Alex thrilled to hear this. They really were on a rescue mission.

The first man sighed. He sounded older than his companion, more weary. "Do not be too hopeful. You know what will happen if we cannot do this."

The second man said nothing.

"Faisal is a good shot," the first man said, trying to sound reassuring. "He will not miss. It will be quick." He paused. "Probably it will be a mercy after three days at the hands of Kadyn Nah."

Alex gasped and clutched the reins tight. Surely he had misunderstood them. They could not mean what he thought. He turned around to stare at the two Med-jai.

The younger one tried to smile at him, but the older one merely returned his stare. Alex pulled down his bandanna and swallowed hard. "You wouldn't," he said in Arabic.

Surprise registered on their faces. The older man said, "If you have been listening to us, then you know we may have no choice."

"You can't just kill him!" Alex burst out. "You can't!"

His cry carried ahead to his parents, who turned around to see what the commotion was. Faisal ibn Sheik frowned.

"You can't!" Alex repeated. He kicked poor Horus, sending the startled horse into a trot. The Med-jai parted to let him through and he pulled Horus back into a walk as he drew even with Faisal.

"You can't," he said again, giving the Med-jai his sternest glare.

"Alex?" His mum looked worried.

Faisal said, "You speak my language very well, Alex O'Connell."

Any other time he would have been pleased at having someone notice. "Don't change the subject," he said angrily.

"Alex!" His mum probably hadn't understood what he'd said, but she could not have missed the note of insolence in his voice. No doubt she was mortified over his behavior.

"Do not be angry with him," Faisal said in English.

"What's he saying?" asked Rick.

"They're going to kill Ardeth!" Alex exclaimed, wanting his parents to know the duplicity of the Med-jai. "This isn't a rescue mission at all."

His dad's eyes narrowed. His mum looked shocked. "What?"

Faisal pursed his lips. "Alex has heard only half the story," he said, not unkindly. "Our plan was always to free Ardeth, if we could." He paused. "But if we could not..."

Alex eyed the rifle sitting in a saddle scabbard beside the man's right leg. "You'll just shoot him," he said, disgusted to discover he was close to tears.

"The Med-jai will never give up Hamunaptra," Faisal said. "And we will not negotiate. Ardeth Bay knows this."

Alex fought back the tears. It wasn't easy being nine years old -- everybody either ignored him or treated him like a baby. And here was someone finally treating him as an adult. It would not look good to cry now. "Why don't you just pretend?" he pleaded. That was what he would do, if it was up to him. "Let them have the treasure and when Ardeth is back, you can go after them and get it all back."

"Oh, Alex--" his mum said, and could not finish.

His dad, however, did not have that problem. "That's a good plan, Alex. Unfortunately, it won't work."

"Why not?" he demanded.

"For two reasons," said Faisal ibn Sheik. "First, these men do not want Hamunaptra's treasure. Perhaps on the surface they do, but they also want more. They want all of the City of the Dead, to take it from the Med-jai and make us powerless.

"And second, they are led by Kadyn Nah. Even if we were to give these men everything they ask for, Kadyn would still kill Ardeth."

"Why?" Alex asked, afraid he knew the answer already.

"Because Ardeth killed Kadyn Nah's brother in the Oasis of Ahm Shere," Faisal said.

Alex stared at that rifle by Faisal's knee and gritted his teeth so hard his face hurt. He would not cry, he told himself viciously. No matter what happened, he would not cry.

****

At night they stopped to rest the horses and eat a hasty meal, and Evy asked about the story they all wanted to hear.

Rick sat next his wife, with Alex pressed against his other side. He had one arm about the boy's shoulders, and Alex, who recently had begun to shrug off such overt signs of affection, considering them embarrassing, did not try to draw away. On the other side of Evy, Jonathan listened to the tale, wide-eyed with astonishment.

"The father of Lock Nah was a powerful man, and he had many wives," Faisal ibn Sheik said. "Kadyn was only Lock Nah's half-brother, but they were as close as brothers bound by blood. Both boys grew to become strong, charismatic men like their father. But where Lock Nah defied the Med-jai in every way he could, scorning us and our customs, Kadyn conformed more and sometimes urged his brother to see reason. Lock Nah would not wear the tattoos of the Med-jai, as you saw, but Kadyn did. In such ways were the brothers different."

The nine other Med-jai formed the rest of the circle. They all knew this story, but they listened intently – hoping, perhaps, to hear something different in it this time.

"The leader of the Med-jai at this time was Sohail Bay, and he was wise and cautious, a good man. His wife had died shortly after bearing him his only son, and for the rest of his life, he honored her memory and did not take another wife."

Evy nudged him slightly, and Rick pretended not to notice. They had never talked about her death, and he did not intend to start tonight. Not here. Not while they were still in Egypt.

"Sohail led us well, but he was already old when his son was born and eventually he grew sick and weak. Lock Nah saw this and began speaking out against our leader, agitating many of the youths in the tribes to join with him. Soon an entire faction of the Med-jai was under his spell." 

Faisal looked at Rick. "Do you wonder why Ardeth did not put a stop to this?"

Rick cleared his throat. He did not, as a matter of fact, but the question made sense. "Okay. Tell us why he didn't."

"He was devoted to his father, and his love for Sohail blinded him to the truth of what was happening among his people. He knew it but chose to ignore it."

Faisal's dark eyes bored into his. "In the year the French were slaughtered at Hamunaptra, Lock Nah challenged Sohail Bay for his leadership."

This surprised Rick. He had always been a bit curious as to how someone as young as Ardeth led the Med-jai, but he had never thought to ask. He realized now that Ardeth had only taken command in the same year Rick had first seen him high on the clifftop, watching as Rick ran away from the massacre at Hamunaptra and the voices that whispered under the sand.

"It is the right of any Med-jai to challenge the leader, but this had not been done in centuries. Lock Nah was the first to be so arrogant.

"Sohail could not refuse. He and Lock Nah battled."

At his side, Alex snuggled closer, and Rick pressed his son's shoulders tight. After their return to London, it had been months before Alex stopped wanting to sleep with them at night, his sleep wracked by dreams of the man who had abused him throughout Egypt. He knew it could not be easy for Alex to hear this story about his kidnapper.

"Lock Nah bested Sohail, and brought the leader to his knees. He had Sohail on the point of his sword, when he demanded to be named as the next leader." Faisal lifted his eyes heavenward, then looked back down at Rick. "Sohail announced his son would be his successor, then slashed his own throat on Lock Nah's sword."

Evy let out a cry of sympathetic pain. Rick said nothing, but he hugged Alex a little harder.

"Ardeth Bay, the new leader of the Med-jai, took up the challenge his dead father had left unanswered. He bested Lock Nah in combat, but although he had the right to kill his foe, he did not. He chose to show mercy, and instead he exiled Lock Nah, casting the man out of the Med-jai forever."

"I bet he regretted that decision," Rick mumbled, and cursed the words as soon as he spoke them.

But Faisal was not offended. "He did," the warrior said. "For shortly after Lock Nah's banishment, Kadyn Nah arrived to confront Ardeth. He denounced the leader, and proclaimed his self-exile. He was now longer a Med-jai, either, he said. Before all who watched, he took a knife to his face and cut himself, removing the tattoos that had marked him as Med-jai. Dazed and bleeding, he rode away, and we did not see him again."

Alex poked his head out from under Rick's arm. "What did Ardeth do then?"

"He did nothing. It was Kadyn Nah's choice to leave. Ardeth could not stop him."

Rick lifted the hand that had been draped over Alex's shoulders, and touched his cheek. "He really cut himself?"

"I saw it," said Faisal ibn Sheik. "I am Commander of the J'hia tribe of the Med-jai, and I am second only to Ardeth Bay. I witnessed his rise to leader, and it is my hope and my prayer that I do not witness his fall."

Rick said nothing to this, wondering if he would ever get used to the slightly dramatic way the Med-jai spoke.

Faisal stared into the fire for a moment, then stirred. "It is late," he said, "and we must ride before the dawn. You should get some sleep." He stood, walked out of the circle of light cast by the fire, and disappeared into the darkness.

He had learned a lot about these people tonight, Rick reflected, and even more about his friend. So why did he still feel that he would never fully understand them?

****

That night, Evelyn O'Connell had a dream. It was not of Ancient Egypt, like she had dreamed before, but it had the same truth to it. She beheld her dream and she knew it would come to pass.

She saw a cluster of tents on a rocky spit of land beneath a high cliff. Men were shouting and firing guns, and most of them were dressed in black robes, but one of them wore a white shirt and had blue eyes, and she knew him as her husband and was afraid for him.

"Enough!" The man who shouted was tall and muscular, and he looked like the man who had almost killed her in her own home, except that old scars marred the beauty of his dark face. Before him was his prisoner, bound and helpless. He held a knife to Ardeth's throat, and his eyes flashed with rage. "Enough, or he dies!"

Immediately all movement in the camp came to a halt. Rick froze, his gun aimed at Kadyn Nah's head.

"Put down your weapons. All of you." Kadyn Nah spoke quietly, confident of his victory. 

As one, they obeyed. Rick laid his pistol on the ground with tangible reluctance.

High on the cliff, where she watched it all, Evy began to tremble.

For a moment they all stood still. Ardeth made no move to free himself from his captor. The leader of the Med-jai stared steadily at Faisal ibn Sheik.

Kadyn Nah glared at the black-robed warriors. "You will give us Hamunaptra."

"And if we do not?" asked Faisal.

As his only answer, Kadyn moved the knife at Ardeth's throat, pressing hard enough to draw blood. The Med-jai did not flinch or even blink.

"Never," Faisal said.

Ardeth began to smile.

Evy leaned forward, a cry rising in her throat. But she was here only as a spectator, and the events of her dream were beyond her control. She knew what would happen next, but she was powerless to stop it.

"Faisal ibn Sheik, I name you!" Ardeth cried. "Lead the Med-jai!" He whipped his head to the side, slashing his own throat. 

"No!" The scream broke from her, tearing through the air.

Ardeth's knees buckled, and he fell. Shocked rage widened Kadyn Nah's eyes. 

Rick, her darling husband, dropped to one knee and scooped up his gun. Before the pistol was more than a few inches off the ground, he fired.

Kadyn Nah staggered back, a dime-sized hole in his forehead. Still wearing that expression of surprised anger, he collapsed.

"No," Evy sobbed. "No! No!"

Faisal ibn Sheik and the Med-jai did not move; they knew the truth. Only Rick ran to Ardeth, his face twisting with grief. One hand reached forward, then was snatched back. "Oh, God." The same helplessness that had seized him when she died in Ahm Shere took hold of him now. He knelt there, in tears, unable to move.

Evy buried her face in her hands, sobbing desolately.

****

Jonathan was a sound sleeper, but his sister's cries reached him and tore him from sleep. Still befuddled, he leapt to his feet, turning in circles, looking for danger. He was horribly aware that he was unarmed, and as he spun about, he half-expected to see the grinning figure of Imhotep walking toward them.

Instead he saw Evy, sobbing in Rick's arms. Alex stood nearby, his hair corkscrewed, blue eyes full of worry. "Mum?"

Rick shooed him away. "She just had a bad dream. She'll be all right." He looked around. "Jonathan?"

Falling into his usual role of chaperone, Jonathan walked up to Alex and gently led the boy away from his parents. "She'll be fine, Alex," he said, hoping he sounded more certain than he felt. It was not at all like Evy to get so upset.

As though she had heard his thoughts, Evy sat up, pushing Rick away. She looked around until she saw Faisal ibn Sheik, who stood a discreet distance away along with the other Med-jai, who had come running at the screams. 

"You can't do it," Evy said. "It will all go wrong."

Faisal frowned and walked forward. "Can't do what?"

"You can't go in there like you've planned," Evy said. "If you do, Ardeth will die."

The Med-jai took a deep breath. "You had a dream," he began.

"A dream that showed me the truth!" Evy snapped. She was angry now, her brown eyes flashing. With her long hair tangled about her shoulders and one sleeve of her blouse sliding down, she still looked beautiful, and for a moment Jonathan almost didn't recognize her. What had ever happened to the little girl he had known, the child who wore her hair in braids and who whispered tales of fantasy to him at night when they were supposed to be sleeping?

"Listen to me," Evy said. She recounted her dream, and Jonathan winced when she reached the end and told them about Ardeth's suicide. "If you go in there and attack them like you did with us when we were at Hamunaptra, the events of my dream will happen," she said flatly.

Rick turned to Faisal. "Why would you attack a camp of only four men?" he asked.

"There are more than four," Evy and Faisal said at the same time.

Jonathan sighed. He supposed they ought to have expected it. But he was still disappointed. Why did things always have to be harder than you hoped?

"How many are there?" asked Rick.

"Fifteen, at least," said Faisal. "Possibly twenty."

"That you know of?" asked Jonathan, worried by the implications behind that statement.

"We have been aware of Kadyn Nah's presence out here for a few months," said the commander. "As long as he remained where he was, we were content to let him be."

Jonathan shook his head. There was another decision Ardeth must surely be regretting by now. "So how will we do this, then?" he asked.

"There's only one way," Rick said quietly. "A large group attack won't work. Seems like someone's got to sneak in there, grab Ardeth, and get the hell out of there."

Jonathan stared at his brother-in-law, and was completely unsurprised when Rick added, "I owe your leader a debt I can never repay. But this way, maybe I can start."

Faisal ibn Sheik looked at Rick for a long moment, then he slowly nodded. 

****

The human body, Ardeth Bay had decided, was a wondrous thing. No matter what you did to it, it went on stubbornly living. It had an amazing capacity for pain, and it didn't care what you thought, just as long as you kept on living.

"Well?" The blade was cool against his skin. 

He said nothing. They had ridden hard through the night and day and reached the cliff late this evening. 

The knife caressed his cheek. "You won't lead them much longer, Ardeth Bay. You won't even _be_ one of them much longer." He flinched as the tip of the blade poked at the skin just under his eye, but the hand in his hair held him still and he could not move far.

"Would you like to know how it felt?" The blade turned and ran lightly along the symbols tattooed on his cheek. "Would you like to taste your own blood?"

Ardeth said nothing.

"Tell me again how you killed my brother." Kadyn ran the knife over the same spot it had just touched, and a thin line of blood appeared over the blue tattoo of the Med-jai.

His hands were still shackled behind him, and so Kadyn could not see as Ardeth balled them into fists in an effort to stay silent.

"Tell me!" Kadyn Nah demanded. "Tell me about your arrogance, Med-jai, your superiority. Tell me who made you the judge over who lives and who dies. Tell me or I'll kill you right now."

That might not be so bad, Ardeth thought grimly. The way things were going, he was beginning to think of death as a welcome release.

"Tell me!" The knife slashed deep, and immediately blood ran from the cut.

Ardeth spit in Kadyn Nah's face. It was the deadliest insult a man of the desert could offer, for to waste precious liquid on another man was to imply that he was less than nothing. Kadyn recoiled and backhanded Ardeth into the tentpole.

"You," the former Med-jai growled, "will regret that."

Despite everything, Ardeth almost laughed. There were many things in his life that he regretted, but this moment was surely was not one of them.

****

They rode through the day, pausing occasionally to water the horses, begrudging the time lost. As the sun began to sink in the west, they stopped for the last time and made camp. They sat around the fire and laid their plans, and then, with nothing further to delay them, they prepared to part ways.

"Rick, are you sure about this?"

They stood outside his tent, for he had wanted to be alone when he said his farewell. He might have lingered all night, had she let him, for he did not want to leave her. It was Evy who had broken their embrace and forcibly led him from the tent.

She was worried, that little frown line appearing between her brows. He felt bad about that, about being the one to make her worry. "Evy, I have to," he said.

He had made a promise, after all. And they owed Ardeth. But where Evy and Jonathan had repaid their debt by saving Ardeth's life -- Evy on the bus and Jonathan in the Oasis -- he, Rick O'Connell had not. All he had ever done was put his friend's life in danger and then asked for more.

_I need you to help me find my son_ , he had said, and Ardeth had listened. The Med-jai had followed him further into the Oasis to help him save Alex, rather than returning to his own people and preparing for the battle against the Army of Anubis.

He frowned, thinking about that day. For the first time, he wondered how Ardeth had made it safely through the jungle without being attacked by those pygmy mummies. And he wanted to know. He wanted the chance to ask. He wanted to see his friend again.

Faisal walked up. "The camp is where Evy said it would be," the Med-jai said. "It lies at the base of a cliff."

Rick nodded. He had an urge to check his guns again, and held himself still only with a great effort.

"We will wait for your signal, then provide cover fire. Do not linger. The cliff wall curves inward, beyond the camp. There will be two horses waiting for you there." Faisal hesitated, then said, "It may be that Ardeth cannot ride alone. If that is true, do not bother yourself with the second horse. Either way, we will be behind you. Return to this place as swiftly as you can."

"Won't they chase you?" Evy asked.

Faisal ibn Sheik grinned humorlessly. "Probably."

"So what happens when we get back here?" Rick asked.

"We will decide that when it is time," Faisal replied. He held out a dark bundle. "Here. Put this on."

Rick took it, mystified. He shook it out and saw that it was a black Med-jai robe. At his raised eyebrow, Faisal merely nodded and walked away.

He looked around, wondering if they were all watching him, and only pretending to be involved in their own activities. Only an hour remained of daylight. The plan called for Rick to wait until dark, then sneak into the camp. Realizing what the robe was for now, he pulled it over his head, settling it over his shoulders. Now his white shirt was hidden, and he would blend easily into the night. 

Evy's eyes gleamed as she looked at him.

"Don't get any ideas," he warned, feeling both silly and somehow stronger. In the robes of a Med-jai, he almost felt like he truly was a warrior for God.

"You look nice," Evy murmured, stepping close. She ran a fingernail over the stubble on his cheek, sending a shiver through him. "Very nice."

He grinned. "Really?"

She nodded, walking around him, admiring what she saw. "A woman could get swept off her feet by such a tall, dark, handsome man."

Now his grin was from ear to ear. "Really?"

"Oh, yes." Evy stopped before him. "In fact, after Hamunaptra, it was all I could do not to throw myself at Ardeth's feet. Didn't you know that?"

Rick's smile died. 

His wife laughed. "Oh, Rick. There was always only you." She put her arms around his neck. "But I must admit, you do look very dashing now, dressed like this."

He disentangled himself from her, suddenly longing for the moment he could cast off the black robe. "Right." But he couldn't stay mad, not when a part of him was jumping for joy to see her laughing. She laughed too rarely these days.

****

They rode away from the camp, leaving Evy behind with Alex and Jonathan and a single Med-jai warrior.

Shortly after their departure, they split into two groups. The Med-jai would ride around and come at the camp from the north side. Rick would approach from the south.

Faisal led him to the place where the cliff wall curved. Beyond it was the camp. "Here." The Med-jai commander held out his hands. Resting atop his palms was the curved sword belonging to Ardeth. "Return it to him."

Rick took the sword, noting how delicately balanced it was, how worn the grip was. It had to be ancient, he thought.

"O'Connell." Faisal stared at him. "There is one more thing you must know."

He thrust the sword through a loop in the belt of his robe. "What's that?"

"We had three days to decide," Faisal said. "Tomorrow morning will be the fourth day."

It was as if the man had reached out and punched him in the gut. "So you're saying that if this doesn't work, they're going to kill Ardeth tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Shit." His shoulders slumped. "Why the hell didn't you tell us?"

"We did not wish to upset you."

"It's a little late for that!" Rick snapped. "Our friend's been kidnapped. Wouldn't you say that's upsetting enough?"

Faisal merely lifted an eyebrow. "Do you want them to hear you?"

Instantly he clamped his jaw shut.

The Med-jai dismounted from his horse. "Wait a few hours. When you are ready, give us a signal. We will be on the other side of the camp. We will cover you, then follow."

Rick nodded. "All right."

"Good luck," said Faisal ibn Sheik. He walked away, leaving Rick alone.

" _Insh'allah_ ," Rick whispered.

If God wills it.

****

"It's your last night alive, Ardeth Bay. How do you want to spend it?" Kadyn Nah chuckled, amused by his own wit.

His prisoner said nothing.

He held out the bottle he was currently draining. "It's almost gone. Sure you don't want any? All you have to do is beg. You must be awfully thirsty by now." He shook the bottle so the water inside sloshed noisily, but even that got no response.

Kadyn scowled. It was no fun tormenting someone who didn't care.

Ardeth was still chained to the tentpole, legs sprawled before him. A loop of rope about his throat secured him further to the post. Kadyn didn't like how the Med-jai's head fell forward when he was unconscious, so the rope had remedied that. Now he could always see Ardeth's face. As an added bonus, on occasion the Med-jai's head would nod, and then he would strangle, until finding the strength to lift his head once more. Another man might have simply stopped fighting and let himself choke, but Ardeth Bay was not that kind of man.

Kadyn drank from the bottle again, and when he lowered it, Ardeth was looking at him. He grinned. "I knew you were awake!"

The Med-jai looked away, staring dully at nothing.

"You know, the only thing that could make this any better," Kadyn said, "was if you had a brother or somebody who cared about you. Someone who would be left behind after you died, trying to pick up the pieces of their ruined life."

His hand bore down on the neck of the bottle hard enough to hurt. Lock Nah had been dead for eight months, but the pain of his brother's death was still raw. "But there's no one, is there?" he taunted. "No one who gives a shit about you. The Med-jai are going to let you die. They care more about their damn City than they do about one of their own."

Ardeth seemed to consider this. "No," he said finally, speaking quietly. "That is not true."

"No?" Kadyn spat.

"You know it is not true," Ardeth said. "That is how you tricked me in the first place." The Med-jai looked at him, and Kadyn could swear there was triumph in those eyes.

Damn! The O'Connells! He had forgotten them. Impotent fury swept through him as he realized his latest attempt to hurt Ardeth had backfired. Seized by the sudden, overwhelming desire to smash something, he hurled the bottle at Ardeth.

He missed. The bottle struck the post above Ardeth's head and shattered, dumping water onto the sand. The Med-jai's lips twitched in the ghost of a smile, then he started coughing. The rope around his neck allowed him little freedom of movement, and he choked, fighting for breath.

Kadyn watched, grimly satisfied. So what if he had missed? This was better. 

At last the coughing subsided, and Ardeth slumped back, closing his eyes. A thin ribbon of blood snaked from the corner of his mouth, down his chin. He groaned softly.

It was the first time the Med-jai had given voice to his pain. Kadyn stood up, gloating. "Well," he smirked, "that sure took long enough. But we don't have to stop there, do we?"

Smiling delightedly, he drove his foot with all his strength into the Med-jai's side, right where he knew those broken ribs to be.

****

The camp was still and quiet, except for two tents where lantern light glowed within. Fires burned at each end of the camp, and the tents were arranged in two rows of ten. Straight ahead he could see their horses in a crudely built wooden corral. One man sat before the fire at this end of the camp, but that was all. Rick crept forward, hugging the base of the cliff, moving with excruciating slowness. He was cheered by that single guard. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

He had had a moment's worry earlier, when he realized he had no idea where to find Ardeth. But one tent was bigger than the others, and a light shone from inside, so that surely had to be the one.

He moved slowly, advancing on them. He chose his footing with care, not wanting to dislodge any of the fallen rocks underfoot, or make any sounds that might give him away.

And then he heard it: a choked-off cry of pain that could only come from one person. Rick froze, his heart pounding.

That cry frightened him badly. He remembered how proud Ardeth was, how stoic the warrior had been after being wounded on the bus in London. Had the man's injuries not been obvious, they might never have known, at least not judging by Ardeth's demeanor. All through the lonely days in Izzy's dirigible when they were chasing Imhotep, Ardeth had not once complained, although he must have been hurting, his wounds only beginning to heal.

And now someone was hurting Ardeth enough to make him cry out. Rick pulled his gun and hoped dearly that he would put it to good use before this night was over.

****

On the other side of the camp, Faisal ibn Sheik heard it, too, and he gripped his rifle tight. He had known his leader since Ardeth was only a boy, and his loyalty was unwavering. If O'Connell could not do it, he would fire one shot tonight, and one shot only.

It was the only thing he could do for Ardeth, the only thing he had to offer.

****

"You ruined my life," Kadyn cried. The Med-jai was beyond hearing him, but he did not care. "Everything I ever wanted -- you destroyed!"

He touched his face, feeling the scars beneath his fingers where once the tattoos of the Med-jai had been. Once he had been part of a proud culture, an ancient sect whose members were well versed in strength and nobility. Was not the proof right in front of him?

He kicked Ardeth again, but there was little force behind the blow. "Damn you," he panted. "Damn you! I never wanted this!"

Once he had longed to be a strong warrior. Once he had had that chance, before he had thrown it all away. "I never wanted this," Kadyn Nah repeated. Tears stung the backs of his eyes. "But you never gave me a choice."

It was time to end it. He pulled the knife from its sheath, the same knife that he had used to cut away his tattoos and sever the last tie between him and the Med-jai. He dropped to his knees in front of Ardeth. "It's over," he whispered. "Over."

****

Even as a little girl, Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell had never been the type to sit back and let others do for her. There had been times when her courage had been lacking, but never her determination. She had always forged ahead, making her own way in life.

To sit here and be essentially helpless ate at her like nothing else could. As the evening deepened into night, she snapped at Alex and Jonathan and paced the camp fretfully, occasionally glancing up, wondering if she had heard gunshots. 

Had she sent her husband to his death? The notion tormented her, and she wanted to groan aloud. She might never see him again, and the last thing she had done with him was have a joke at his expense. How could she have been so insensitive?

"Evy?" Jonthan spoke hesitantly -- and little wonder, given how she had been treating him all night. 

She looked at her brother, trying to be patient. "What is it, Jonathan?"

He swallowed hard and one shoulder jerked in a reflexive gesture of uncertainty. "I, ahem." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to let you know that I've decided to move out."

Evy stared at him as if he had gone insane. What on earth was he talking about?

"Move out," Jonathan went on, oblivious to her shock. "Get a job. All that sort of stuff."

"Jonathan?" She folded her arms. "Are you running a fever?"

Her brother shook his head, exasperated. "For God's sake, Evy! I'm trying to be serious here."

"It sounds to me like you're joking," she said. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Alex creeping close, hanging on their every word.

"This just -- all this--" Jonathan made a sweeping motion with his arm. "It's made me think. About money, and treasure, and the important things in life." He gave that sharp shrug again. "Family. Friends."

Stunned almost to tears, Evy could think of nothing to say.

"So I'm turning over a new leaf, old mum." Jonthan smiled bravely, but he was obviously terrified by the decision he had just made. "When we get back to London, no more living in your house, eating your food. No more drinking, and no more bloody gambling. I mean it."

Those were a lot of changes for one man to make all at once, and Evy knew he would never do it all, but she was fiercely proud of him at that moment. The big brother she had idolized in her childhood and taken care of since she was an adolescent, had finally grown up.

She hugged him. "Oh, Jonathan."

He hugged her back, shaking a little, and she closed her eyes, wondering how she had gotten so lucky to have these amazing men in her life.

****

He raised the knife. 

"Let me go," Ardeth said.

Not in Arabic. But in Ancient Egyptian. The language used at the rites of manhood. The language of the Creature. The language that reminded the Med-jai who they were.

Kadyn's hand slumped back to his lap.

Amazing. He was thirty years old, only five years younger than Ardeth. For three days he had mercilessly tortured the leader of the Med-jai, and now at the end, Ardeth was still stronger than he was. Strong enough to face death unflinchingly, without begging. Strong enough to give that quiet command, and to expect it to be obeyed.

Stronger than he was. Kadyn Nah knelt on the sand, and did not know what to do.

****

He was close now. Rick crouched down behind Kadyn Nah's tent and slowly, carefully, pulled back the hammer on his pistol.

****

Life was full of irony.

Take, for instance, the fact that Kadyn Nah had unknowingly given him the key to his freedom.

The bottle. When it had broken, razor-sharp shards of glass had fallen behind him. It was a simple thing to pick one up, to cut himself with it. The blood made his hand slippery, and he was able to pull it through the manacle with a minimum of effort. Kadyn had been too busy kicking him at that point, and had not even noticed what his captive was doing.

This by itself was good, but one more thing was needed. And Kadyn gave it to him.

_I never wanted this_ , Kadyn had said, almost in tears. That moment of weakness had bought Ardeth precious time, and when he spoke to Kadyn in Ancient Egyptian, he had an instant when he thought that was all that was needed. The man would let him go.

But Kadyn's eyes cleared too quickly, and his hand tightened on the knife.

Nonetheless, it was too late. Kadyn Nah had hesitated too long, and now it would cost him. 

With a wild yell, Ardeth let his right fist fly, ignoring the scream of pain in his shoulder from muscles that had been locked in one position for too long. The blow struck Kadyn high on the cheekbone, on the scar that had once been a Med-jai tattoo. Kadyn reeled back and thumped to the sand, his eyes wide and stunned.

Ardeth clawed at the rope about his neck, knowing that if he could not free himself in the next few seconds, he would die. Before he could do more than hook his fingers under the noose, Kadyn sprang at him.

Not daring to let go of the rope, he swung with his left hand. The steel bracelet was still about his wrist, with the empty cuff dangling from the chain. The manacle impacted on Kadyn Nah's nose, breaking it with a satisfying crunch. Kadyn howled and fell back again, dropping the knife and clutching at his face.

Desperately, Ardeth fought to free himself.

****

He was only a few paces from the tent when all hell broke loose inside. Someone uttered a fierce war cry, and Rick grinned savagely as he recognized Ardeth's voice. An instant later he heard the unmistakable sound of two men fighting.

The camp could not possibly ignore this. Knowing that their surprise attack had just been blown, Rick threw aside all caution. He flung open the flap of the tent, bringing his gun up, ready to fire.

What he saw gave him the shock of his life. A man with horrible facial scars was rolling around on the sand. He looked so similar to Lock Nah, a man Rick had only seen in the British Museum, that for a moment his heart stopped. No wonder Alex had been so frightened!

And Ardeth. The leader of the Med-jai was tied to the tentpole by a rope about his neck. There was blood on his face and his eyes were bright with pain and determination. Right now he was fighting strongly, but Rick was under no illusions as to how long that burst of adrenaline would last. He had to get Ardeth out of here, and fast.

Outside, men were yelling. Rick raised the pistol.

"O'Connell!" Ardeth roared.

Rick dropped to one knee, and felt the hair rise on his scalp as he barely missed being shot in the back of the skull. The bullet slammed into the post inches over Ardeth's head, sending splinters flying.

On the ground, Kadyn Nah rolled to his knees. Murder glinted in his eyes.

Rick spun about and shot the man who stood in the entrance to the tent. There were more coming, he saw, and steeled himself for the coming fight.

But he was not the only one facing an assailant. Without looking behind him, he reached down with his left hand and drew the sword that Faisal had given him. Praying he was not handing his enemy a new weapon, he reached across his body and tossed the sword behind him, spinning across the sand.

Outside, there were gunshots and horses galloping past. The Med-jai were attacking.

****

Kadyn saw the spinning blade and lunged for it, momentarily forgetting about the knife in his hand. 

"No!" The rope still held fast; he could barely move. Ardeth kicked at the man's hand, sending sand into Kadyn's face. It was the best he could do.

Reflexively, Kadyn Nah shied back, ducking his head to shield his eyes. The curved sword slid underneath his reaching fingers, spun round one more time, and then the hilt settled into Ardeth's outstretched hand.

In one swift motion, he brought the sword up, slamming it into the post, severing the rope about his neck. It fell to his shoulders, and he was free.

Kadyn had gathered himself quickly. Ardeth launched himself forward onto his knees, raising his arm across his body just in time to meet this new attack. Sparks flew as their blades met, and Kadyn's knife was wrenched from his hand by the collision.

For a moment they stared at each other over the steel of Ardeth's sword. The lantern light was reflected gold on the silver blade, and in the dark of their eyes.

Ardeth whipped his arm around and brought the sword across in a wide arc. Kadyn Nah, his throat slashed open like his brother's before him, uttered a puzzled groan, and then died.

****

The first shot Rick fired was also the only one. He stood in the entry to the tent and watched the Med-jai swoop down on the camp, leaving no one alive under their attack. They rode with skilled comfort, and wielded their weapons with ease, looking nothing at all like the soft men who had once tried to stop Rick and Evy from exploring Hamunaptra. Clearly in the years since Ardeth had taken command of the Med-jai, there had been some sweeping changes among these warriors.

He was not needed outside, and a battle was raging behind him. He turned around, and so it was that he saw the moment of Kadyn Nah's death. He saw Ardeth strike the killing blow, and the blood that splashed up from the blade.

He could not see Kadyn Nah's face as the man fell over and died, but he did not have to. He knew the surprise that would be on the man's face for all eternity, the surprise and the hatred and the sorrow at finding out that he was not strong enough, after all.

Rick stared at Ardeth. The leader of the Med-jai knelt on the sand, still holding his sword in his bloodied right hand. A length of dirty rope was draped over his shoulders like a bizarre scarf. He looked up at Rick, and for a terrible moment there was confusion on his face, as though he could not quite comprehend what had just happened.

The sight stirred Rick into motion. "It's all over," he said. "You all right?"

Ardeth blinked, slowly coming to terms with reality. "I-- No," he said. He dropped his sword.

"Hey!" Rick started forward, then drew up short as the tent flap rustled behind him. Startled, he spun around, pulling his gun.

It was Faisal. The Med-jai commander looked at his leader for a long moment, and relief slumped his shoulders. He said something in Arabic, a question.

Ardeth answered quietly. Unable to understand what they were saying, Rick looked from one to the other.

Faisal ibn Sheik clapped him on the shoulder, then turned and left the tent.

Rick looked at Ardeth. "What did he say to you?"

"He asked if I was able to ride," Ardeth said.

Rick waited for the rest, but Ardeth would not say. "And? What did you say to him?" he finally prompted.

His friend gave him a searching look. "I said you would help me."

This simple statement hit Rick hard. He suddenly became aware that Ardeth was still on his knees, obviously hurt. He remembered the pure joy that had surged through him at Hamunaptra when he had realized the Med-jai had survived the horrors within the City. He remembered the vow he had made in his home in London. _If you ever need anything..._ He thought of the callous way he had shrugged off Ardeth's claims that he was a Med-jai. 

He walked forward and held out his right hand. "What if I was to say to you, I am a stranger travelling from the east, in search of that which is lost?"

Ardeth's eyes widened. He took the offered hand. "Then I would say that I am a stranger travelling from the west, and it is I whom you seek." Using Rick's hand to brace his weight, he stood up. "So you believe now."

Rick shook his head. "I'm not sure. Let's just say, I'm open to the suggestion now."

"And what has made you change your mind?"

"Almost losing my friend," Rick said quietly.

Their hands were still clasped, scarlet with Ardeth's blood. "Thank you," Ardeth said. "For coming after me."

"Hey," Rick said, "a promise is a promise." Suddenly uncomfortable with how things were going, he pulled his hand back. "Come on." He smiled and jerked his head toward the night outside. "There's some people back there who can't wait to see you."

****

_Epilogue_

Museum of Antiquities  
Cairo, Egypt  
Eight days later

 

"You really worked here? How could you stand to leave it all?" Alex spun in circles, dazzled by the displays.

"Oh, I don't know," Evelyn said, smiling at her husband. "I just found some things that are more important. Real live men, for one thing."

Alex rolled his eyes and grabbed Jonathan's sleeve. "Come on, Uncle Jon! Let me show you this cartouche!" He darted off to peer into another display case, dragging his uncle with him.

"He's not going to break anything, is he?" the curator asked anxiously. He was younger than the former caretaker, but like all his predecessors before him, he was a Med-jai.

"Not on purpose," Rick said lazily.

"Daaad! I heard that," Alex called.

"I hope so," Rick called back.

Hands fluttering nervously, the curator wandered after Alex.

Rick watched his son for a bit, then turned back. "Well, I suppose this is it. We leave later tonight."

Ardeth Bay nodded. "Perhaps one day we will meet under more pleasant circumstances."

Rick chuckled. "That would be nice."

Evelyn smiled. "You must come to London to visit us sometime."

Reluctantly, Ardeth shook his head. "My place is here, with the Med-jai."

"Oh, you can leave for a little while," Rick said expansively. "After all, if anybody raises Imhotep a third time, you can just call me to come kill him again for you."

Despite himself, Ardeth smiled. "My friend, let us hope not."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "You and me both, buddy."

"You're sure you'll be all right?" Evelyn gave him a worried look.

He nodded. The pain was nearly gone, and his wounds were healing fast. For the rest of his life he would bear a scar on his cheek over the tattoos of Med-jai, but he thought there was a certain justice to this. The scar was a reminder, that there were some things in life that were too costly to consider.

And that there were some things, like friendship, that were beyond price.

Ardeth looked at his friends. He would see them off tonight, and then not again for some time. But he _would_ see them again one day. Perhaps not soon, but eventually. It would happen. Fate always had a way of working things out.

Sooner or later, that is.

 

*************

END


End file.
